Eve of destruction.........Tribute to my Friend

Eve of destruction, as I fondly call you, you still owe me a bag. We became unintentional friends, from a road pick up that I bluntly refuse to a bound called sisterhood. We have talked, hanged out, do sleepovers, gossiped and cried together, only that I would be crying without you by my side.

We spoke about everything and God you have the craziest idea about life. We spoke about boy friends that broke out hearts and boyfriends that won’t go. Husbands yet to come and husband we didn’t want to know. Altogether, we decided we would be happy just being single till the man comes and we did it with pride, subjecting our lives to Christ and only in him can our desires be fulfilled. 

My perfect partner in crime the only words you truly understood, even while asleep was ‘come lest go’. My evangelising partner, you practically dragged me each time you were to out speaking about Jesus and you had the funniest way of motivating me, in your exact words “Ama ladies have been known to find their husbands while evangelising, who knows maybe today is our lucky day”, (Eve with tears in my eyes and laughing all at the say time, I only followed you because I knew you would say something crazy that will turn a gloomy day around). In my classic funny way, I jump out of bed and we preach Christ unashamed in our neighbourhood, praying for people we see along the way.

We spoke about policies and laws as it affects the common man, we spoke about feminism and how it affects us, we spoke about our future, career and children. You would tell me how your children would spend the holiday at my house if they misbehaved. We spoke about holidays at places without cell phones. The last night I spent at your place, you went on and on about how life would be lonely for you without me, guess what it is lonely for me already………………………………………………

With your ability to insult me when you open your mouth, say the dandiest things, barge into my room and pick up my things like they were yours, attend functions uninvited and blend in like you were the guest of honour and how embarrassing it was to be driving you on you sinister scheme of driving away boredom. You joked about Buhari’s TSA scheme and said we should form a group called The Singles Association (TSA), and I foolishly agreed to it, it was just going to be single girls sharing their lives, food, happy moment and being plain silly. Whenever you pop a bottle of wine, you would describe the drink and call the name in a fake accent and say cheers to all single ladies out there, you were passionate about womanhood and the family.

Today I am without a friend, a sister, a praying partner, you thought me to laugh while crying, we shared everything except shoes, you were a size 41 and I am pained to my soul that I won’t hear you call me name again, won’t see you call on my phone and I won’t gate crash parties anymore just for fun. I really wanted mummy to return to Nigeria, but right now I wished she stayed back at Canada, I mourn mummy and I mourn you my sister. You are the most selfless person I have ever known. I have experienced my own bad night and it was the worst experience of my life, I caught myself sleep walking twice and seating up on the bed while sleep. I still remember the day before the trip you told me you missed me, I never knew it will be the last day, I have tried your number everyday till today, wake up my sister wake my friend, wake up I miss you too…………………………………

I will never bring myself to say RIP to you and mummy, but sleep in God. Please say hi to the saints above, David, Esther, Deborah, Paul, Mary Magdalene and John the beloved. Jesus please take good care of my friend and her mum, I would love to add she loves laughing, but you know that already, I hope she makes everyone laugh so hard at heaven as she did to me here on earth. Mama loves a quiet time and I know she is getting more of that.  

Eve of destruction, you didn’t do me well, TSA will continue, I will study the joint course and write that speech we spoke about in remembrance of you, I will live and preach Christ like never before, for the fun memories we shared. Thank you for entering my car even when i told you, i didn't want to pick you up.

Ka gi na mummy la n’do, o ga-adiri u nu mma  ụra na chineke (You and mummy go in peace, it is well with you and sleep in God).

To Evelyn Nebechi Okwara a friend and sister and Mama the Evangelist.